A brief multi part story into what the Tranqulity lane quest could have become.

"Butch, Honey ?" a voice softly calls.

Butch woke up slowly from one of the deepest sleeps he can ever remember having. It's too early to be up. He rolls over to tell Lily where to shove her wake up call but frowns as the image of Lily comes into focus. She is standing in front of a mirror, primping herself. Her hair is curled and flows down her shoulders, she wears a pink dress that puffs out at the bottom and to top it off make up covers her face.

Butch snorts as he sits up from his, surprisingly clean, bed.

"What ya wearing that shit for ?"

Lily gasps and turns around sharply.

"What do you mean ?"

Butch gestures to her ensemble "That's not gonna protect you from a bullet."

A flash of confusion covers her face until a small smile spreads on her lips.

"Did you have a dream darling ?"

"Darling ?" Butch pulls himself out of the bed "What the hell you calling me that for ?"

Lily slowly walks over to him with a tight mouth. Butch takes in her heels with more confusion.

"Because I love you ?" she speaks slowly.

Butch lets out a bark of a laugh "you don't love me. You hate me."

Lily giggles "well that's not entirely true. If I didn't love you I wouldn't have married you."

Butch freezes. Married him ?

Butch isn't married to no one especially not Lily. Hell he would marry her if he could. When she found him in Rivet City he found it hard to keep his cool. He always liked the look of her. A 'crush' Freddie would call it but it wasn't no crush those were for wimps. He still followed her across the wastelands though just out of desire to protect her, to be near her. Not that she noticed. He may have like liked her but hell was he acting on it.

Butch laughs again "What shit are you talking now ?"

Lily folds her arms beneath her chest bushing her breasts closer together. Butch gets a quick glance noticing the lacy rim above the dress. A bra ? When the hell did she ever wear a bra ? His eyes wander down her tan arms and he raises his eyebrows at her lack of pip-boy. Only way to get them off is to die and she was standing right in front of him.

He quickly looks away to avoid being caught at her chest area and almost gasps at what he sees. The wall is covered with perfect paper. No dust. No burns. No tears. He scans the room finding everything else eerily intact and clean.

"Lils where are we ?" his voice has a panicked edge. He lifts his own clothes to find cotton pyjamas. Who put him in these ?

Lily unfolds her arms and walks closer to Butch with concern.

"Are you okay honey ?"

He avoids mentioning the pet name.

"Yeah I'm okay ! I just wanna know where the hell are we ?"

"Home."

Lily lifts her hand to softly stroke his forehead.

"I should get the doctor..."

He grabs her wrist.

"Doctor ?...Lily you are a doctor. Your old man taught you, why would need to get one ?"

"My father was a business man" she gasps "I know nothing about medicine !"

"What are you talking about ?"

Lily winces "you're hurting my arm."

"Why don't you remember ?"

"Let go !" she almost screams.

"This isn't our home !"

He releases her wrist and she sobs holding it. Butch looks almost disgusted. Lily was never this weak. She would have punched him harder than he had held her.

"Of course it's our home ! We live here ! What is wrong with you ?"

"We got kicked out of her home Lils, remember ?"

Lily slowly walks backwards towards the wall.

"The vault didn't want us anymore."

The genuine confusion Lily displays unnerves Butch.

"Vault ? What are you talking about ?"

Butch begins to get angry.

"Big underground thing. 101. Kept people safe from the war. You should know. We both spent 19 years in it!"

"What war ?"

Lily now looks horrified and is cowering slightly against the wall. Butch can't handle this. He'll applaud Lily for this prank later and her attention to detail but it's just too early for this shit. Butch quickly leaves the room feeling as if he can't breath. He needs air. He needs to calm down. He needs to know what's happening. The, intact, front door swings open when he pulls at it and Butch gasps to fill his lungs.

He stops quickly and drops to his knees as he takes in the sights. Every house in his view is built to perfection. The paint is bright without chips . Windows shine with no cracks. Gates stand tall from the ground not laying on it as he is use to.

His hands fall to support him. There is grass. Grass is everywhere. It tickles his hand and he grabs it, pulling it from the dirt. He holds it in front of his face and lets it float away in the fresh wind. He gasps at the wedding ring on his left hand.

He hears the clicks of Lily's heels as she runs to the door.

Men and women in pre war style stop to stare at him with wide eyes. None of them carry weapons. They are all clean.

Butch backs up as a muscular male approaches him. It's Jericho...but he's clean shaven and even worse, he's smiling.

"Are you okay sport ?"

Butch opens his mouth to make sense of all of this. He has to find something to say which will explain it all.

Instead his mouth closes and he looks up to the cloud filled sky.

He passes out and faintly hears Lily scream behind him.